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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23016469">A Social Engagement</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Finduilas/pseuds/Finduilas'>Finduilas</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>'cause he did something stupid, But Tony fixes it, Domestic Avengers, M/M, No actual engagement in the fic though btw, Sort Of, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, The Avengers are a bit pissed at Steve, reality tv show</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 11:33:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,378</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23016469</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Finduilas/pseuds/Finduilas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the prompt: “This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had. Of course I’m in.”</p>
<p>Steve agrees to something without fully comprehending what it means. Modern times are confusing.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve Rogers/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>197</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Social Engagement</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for the number prompt meme on Tumblr, for the prompt: “This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had. Of course I’m in.” </p>
<p>Thank you to Gemma for the Beta, and to Morgan for the prompt.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You did what?” Bruce asks, leaning forward in his seat, panic visible on his face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Natasha on the other hand drops down on the couch with a huff, crossing her arms over her chest, clearly displeased. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… I thought...” Steve stammers, looking around the room wide-eyed, his eyes landing on Tony. “You said!” He says accusingly, pointing a finger at Tony. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Me?!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Tony asks, confused, and any amusement he had fades when Natasha shoots him an equally accusing look. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You said it was how things were done now!” Steve calls out, a slight edge of panic to his voice, “With the media and the internet and… Twitter and Face-Thing and what not!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not…” Tony says and he can’t help but laugh anyway, even though he knows he really shouldn’t because Steve looks absolutely miserable. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Way to go, Stark,” Clint mutters under his breath, but there’s a hint of amusement breaking through. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You told me to loosen up!” Steve tries desperately, “To get with the times.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I meant get an Instagram account or something,” Tony clarifies, because he’s fairly certain he’s never spoken about letting reporters into their home. “Share some selfies for the people. You are ridiculously hot, people would love it. Instant viral shit. I didn’t mean </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” He gives Steve what he hopes is an apologetic look. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t understand the issue?” Thor frowns as he stands up and walks a little closer to Steve, maybe in support or comfort? “Natasha and Clint watch these kinds of televised programs all the time, do they not?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s a difference between watching it and being </span>
  <em>
    <span>in</span>
  </em>
  <span> it though, Thor,” Clint counters. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Privacy,” Natasha calls out, pointedly, “Privacy is the issue.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, okay,” Tony says, holding his hands out as if to calm spirits, because Steve is looking downright wretched by now and Tony has always had trouble dealing with that. “Obviously this is a misunderstanding and Steve never would have agreed to it if he realized what a big deal you’d all make of it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t think…” Steve says shaking his head, subdued. “I thought, Fury makes us do interviews, and… Tony’s always going on about public image and how it’s good if people actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>like</span>
  </em>
  <span> us, so…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who knew you actually listened to me?” Tony muses out loud, somewhat proud. He has an unquenchable urge to kiss Steve, which isn’t a foreign feeling for Tony. The pride he has fades away quickly when Bruce shoots him a look though. “Look, it's not the end of the world,” Tony goes on, feeling an intense need to salvage this for Steve. “What did you agree to exactly?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’d… uh,” Steve says, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck, “They would follow us around for a week, put up some cameras in the tower. Some individual interviews.” Natasha is already huffing loudly. “They said it was like… a slice of life kind of thing? Whatever that means.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who would even watch this?” Bruce frowns. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you kidding?” Natasha asks, “Everyone!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“‘cause we’re just that interesting,” Clint beams proudly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“‘cause we’re the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Avengers</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Tony says, more accurately. “The public wants to humanize us, see the softer side, the domestic side.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, what?” Natasha asks, clenching her jaw, “We just let them pry in our personal lives? You want the world to see that Clint and Bruce cry when they watch their Korean drama shows -” “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Hey!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” “- or that Thor puts on face masks almost every evening.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For rejuvenation of the skin,” Thor smiles broadly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not so bad,” Tony shrugs, casually. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Or that Steve never wears any underwear,” Natasha goes on, and Steve’s face turns red instantly. “And speaking of underwear…” She gives Tony a pointed look. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, fine!” Tony calls out, feeling his face heat up. He knows where this is going and </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he doesn’t want the whole world to know his favorite pair of underpants are Captain America underpants and he wears them way more often than he should. Like… right now. “Look, I can have my people draft up a contract. Nothing will be shown that we don’t want them to show. No cameras in the bedrooms, for sure.” He purposely avoids glancing over at Steve, because he doesn’t need </span>
  <em>
    <span>another</span>
  </em>
  <span> look from Natasha. “And we’ll have the only and final say on what will be aired and what not.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds reasonable,” Bruce nods, shooting Steve a smile.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony looks over at Natasha, raising his eyebrows. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine,” She says, rolling her eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve looks like there’s about a thousand pounds of weight that’s been lifted from his shoulders. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’ll be entertaining,” Thor says, clapping Steve on the shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Clint?” Steve asks, looking over at the man hopefully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had,” Clint says, leaning back in his seat as he looks up at Steve. Then he beams a smile. “Of course I’m in.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey,” Steve says softly as he corners Tony in his workshop later on. “Thanks.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What for?” Tony asks, glancing up from the gauntlet he’s tweaking to be greeted by an indulging smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know,” Steve states as he leans over the bench, tracing a finger over a piece of shoulder protection from Tony’s armour that’s laying out. “I was kinda freaking out there.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was an honest mistake,” Tony says, shrugging, “And who knows? It could turn out to be fun, as long as we have control over what they see.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right,” Steve says, his face turning into a smirk, “Which reminds me… How does Natasha know about your underwear?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony looks up, putting down the screwdriver on the bench, “How does she know about </span>
  <em>
    <span>yours</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve simply shrugs like he hasn’t given it much thought. “She’s scary sometimes.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought…” Tony says, rounding the bench and giving Steve a once-over before sliding his fingers around Steve’s waist, “... that I was the only one that was privileged to that kind of information…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Trust me…” Steve says, hooking his thumbs in the waistband of Tony’s pants, “You are. Ever.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There’s a never ending thrill that courses through Tony’s body when he thinks about the fact that he’s the only one that ever got to touch Steve in this way, got to love Steve in this way, and his lips find Steve’s automatically, brushing over them softly, delicately. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know…” Tony says, Steve’s breath tingling against his lips as they rest their foreheads together, “There’s one thing you didn’t think about.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah?” Steve asks, his voice a satisfied hum as he kneads his fingers into the skin of Tony’s hips. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s gonna be a week of remembering where the cameras are and not doing… </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Tony’s breath hitches as Steve’s mouth finds its way to Tony’s neck, kissing and sucking lightly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve hums against his skin, scrapes his teeth right under Tony’s jawline, then laves it with his tongue. Tony almost forgets he’s said something when Steve murmurs, “Then we’ll just have to get it out of our system now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They make it two days into shooting before Steve walks out of the gym, shirtless and sweating and Tony claims temporary amnesia and pushes Steve against the wall and kisses him senseless. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shall I warn the lawyers then, Sir?” JARVIS asks as Tony just waves a hand at the ceiling distractedly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> a black-out procedure we discussed,” JARVIS goes on in a put upon voice that Tony is sure he never installed, like Tony isn’t slipping his tongue into Steve’s accepting mouth. “But I did tell you I needed notice before temporarily turning off the external cameras. Notice that you did not give me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve lets his hands roam under Tony’s shirt, pulling him flush against him as they break the kiss with a gasp and Tony mutters at JARVIS, “Sometimes there’s just no time, J.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve chuckles before pressing his face into Tony’s neck and sucking that sweet spot he likes so much. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Very well, Sir,” JARVIS says before going silent again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Between this, Bruce getting caught in his fluffy purple bathrobe at breakfast, and Thor walking around the Tower naked, Tony figures he’s going to have his hands full talking to the lawyers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But as Steve captures his mouth again in a searing kiss, Tony can’t say that he has any regrets. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Fin </span>
  </em>
</p>
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